This invention relates to a driving mechanism (herein also referred to as the xe2x80x9cdriving meansxe2x80x9d) for moving two objects simultaneously and reciprocatingly in opposite directions.
In view of prior art mechanical wood splitting apparatus which do not function satisfactorily and are frequently jammed with cut pieces of wood in the spaces between the cutting blades while having a relatively high power consumption rate, the present inventor invented a novel wood splitter. As disclosed in detail in aforementioned patent application Ser. No. 09/686,271 filed Oct. 10, 2000 and to be published in near future, this wood splitter comprises two components which are required to be driven simultaneously and reciprocatingly in opposite directions.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a driver, or a driving mechanism, for simultaneously and reciprocatingly moving two objects such as two machine parts in mutually opposite directions with a relatively low power consumption.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a driving mechanism which can also be operated in another mode wherein one of the pair of these objects is kept stationary while the other one is moved reciprocatingly.
A driving mechanism embodying this invention, with which the above and other objects can be accomplished, may be characterized as comprising a pair of hydraulic cylinders individually connected to two objects to be moved simultaneously and reciprocatingly in mutually opposite directions, a pump for moving a hydraulic liquid, a valve such as a four-way valve for causing this hydraulic liquid pressured by the pump to flow selectively to one or the other of the pair of hydraulic cylinders, and a connecting pipe which directly connects the hydraulic cylinders for allowing the hydraulic liquid to move from either one to the other of the pair of hydraulic cylinders. A second valve such as another four-way valve may be further provided for causing the hydraulic liquid to operate one of the pair of these hydraulic cylinders selectively in one or the other direction.